7/3/10 ENJOY YOUR LIFE

Couple of years back, I have been roaming Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur. There are lots of Bookstores that carried Islamic books there. Nonetheless most of the books are with regard to how to Pray, how to pay Hajj, how to Puasa, how to.....so many, and most of them were (are) about Ibadat. Most, or even all I would say, lead us to be just a good 'insaniah': good in asking (berdoa, bersujud, bermunajat, memohon) of what we want from god! Rather books that teach us on how to build a real strong society (ummah) and nation(darul) not only as an insani, but as a society and nation!I was (am) looking for books that could explain the real 'human life' of Muhammad and his great followers and sure the real transcription of the various 'formula' laid by Quran in building a great Malay-Muslim Nation!

(2) Cleopatra and later the Khalifah of Bagdhad (Al Malik if not mistaken) had shown us that having a great Library filled up with lots of books that carries diverse topics is the real push for the making of a great nation. Both Cleopatra (then Ceaser) and Al Malik knew that, making the citizen busy learning and developing their skills would make their people much stronger and greater. Same goes in the West before and now. Let visit any State capital in Europe and America, libraries are made accessible to almost everybody! Even the Universities Libraries are considered as public libraries! Is this happening in Malaysia: Jauh Panggang dari Api, Jauh Pak Awie! Rais Yatim has to look into this seriously Lately Najib had hinted, Human Capital would be the foundation for New Economic Model, and in fact Allah had also stressed upon the malikat and Syaitan, that the biggest different between Human Being and them is the Human Capital.If we have been serious about this, the call for Human Capital development had been there for the last more than 1400 years, a call by Allah through Muhammad. Just that our focus is too biased to heavenly deed!

(3) The greates mistake for us the Malays, when we bought Islamic books, we focus ourselves to books that seem only to teach us to be prepared to die! The Malay mindset seem to be that 'we just live to die' rather 'live to great'. Probably, I would figure out, the Budhism and Hinduism had ingressed too deep into our root through the 2,000-3,000 years colonization of the SriWijaya and Majapahit dynasty, that religion is main to prepare oneself to be 'submissive to godess' rather 'being a Khalifah'. Thus we seem, not willing to build our people, our nation to the greatest socio-economic status, rather we just love to perpare outrselve to die in 'comfort!'. What a thinking?

(4) My last trip to Kuala Lumpur, led me to a book store, and I was attracted to a book, title: Enjoy Your Life. I though it is a book about, most people would love to know, on how to relief oneself in what ever sense: sex, free time, after work, all sorts...and as I flip through, thank god, this is a book that all Muslim should buy and read. The original author of the Book was Dr. Muhammd 'Abd ar Rahman al-'Arifi, a well known scholar and lecturer from Saudi Arabia. He currently used to give sermons in different mosque in Saudi and he is a Profesor at University of King Saud.

(5) This book is about his life journey, in decribing his life journey he ilustrated and strenthening those based on his knowleadge about the Way of Life prophet Muhammad and his companions. The book thus, sort of revealing on how to face current issues by taking the example of Muhammad and his companions' ways of handling the matters during their time.

6) Most importantly, after going through this book, I began to realise how Allah had fortified Muhammad through having great people: business men (women), warrior, writers, travellers, all sort, surrounding him. Only a handful of these people in fact were friendly to him, most originally were his enemy, but later almost all of them became his strong supporters. Meaning, these great people not only they were his strength but there we also his 'past great problems'.

(7) The very ovious thing about these people were the presence of the business community, begining with Siti Khadijah, then Abu bakar, then Umar and all sort, as Muhammad buddies. Muhammad, originally being a poor orphant, married to Khadijah that gave him strenght to later focus to his 'dakwah' activity with the wealth supported by Khadijah. Same goes to Abu Bakar and Umar whom were willing to devote their wealth for the course of Islam. Equally we must also noted that he also have to face the nasty Jewish business community in Madinah. Basically he has to face the friendly and as well as the bad business group in carrying out his mission! Why are all these thay way?

(8) With all His greatness, Allah could just sent strong soldiers and powerful kings to be submissive to Muhammad, to make sure every human be just be obedient to his order, but He didn't. Allah sent the wealthy business people to firstly be his enemy but later be his great companions. Why? Why Allah made the business people being such prominent in Muhammad life? Even his young journey life was also a business person. Think about that?

(9) Why are we the Malays, despite had been embrasing Islam for the past 500 years, since 10 generations ago, we are still weak as we were even before the presence of Islam on this land? From Buddism to Hindusim, to Portuguese, to British, to Japanese, and now...economically, are we really an Independent Ummah? Why?

(10) Two things that I would like to share most from this reading with everybody as these were the great problem of today and probably tommorow:

(a) One man, he has great problem with his wife. The wife not being happy with him. This had created a great headache to him. To solve this problem, he wanted to seek Muhammad advice on this, but then he realised that Abu Bakar being a very dicipline and firm fellow must be much approachable. He went to Abu Bakar home, but upon reaching his door step, he heard Abu Bakar's wife was yelling and shouting at Abu Bakar worst than his own wife. But from the opening of the door, he could see Abu Bakar just sit still and say nothing. Upon seeing this, he decided to make a move but his foot steps made Abu Bakar to reach for the door and there he saw this man.

"Hey..so and so, why are you here?", asked Abu Bakar. "Dear companion messenger of God, I have a problem just like yours (as I saw and heard just now). But yours was worst than mine, and I'm wondering, how could you bear it?", the man replied. Abu Bakar's answer was simple, "she is my wife, she is my woman, why can't I tolerant with her just a moment"....the author did placed some caveat on this character of Abu Bakar, I would suggest , please read those.

(b) Muhammad is a great man not because of his personal achievement. There is nothing, I would say, that he had personally achieve for himself. He remain a poor man till to his grave. But the one that he is remembered and praise forever, because of his great understanding and dedication to bring 'light' to the 'darkness' of his people and the building of a greater 'ummah'. He served Allah to his course, and that made him great. He served his purpose. He dare to stand to the right course, he dare to sacrifice for the best interest of his purpose. To me, we need great sense of purpose if we really want to build a great Ummah!

Let serve the ummah, rather just serving oureslves. Allah will bless us with all His endowment as He wish, but let us serve Him right! Just that we must be patience and determine!

Kuching, Sarawak
26 March, 2010